Inhaling device



Jne 17, 1941. C, N ERlcksQN 2,245,658

INHALING DEVICE Filed oct. 15. 1937 @www Patented June 17, 1941 UNITEDSTTES PATENT QFFICE 2,245,658 VINHALING. DEVICE Clarence N. Erickson,Glendale, Calif.

Applicationoctober 15, 1937, Serial No. 169,161

` (ci. 12s- 198)- 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved inhaling device wherein a novelform of mask and a holder therefor are constructed, arranged andoperated to facilitate the administration of oxygen and other gases asin the practice of oxygen therapy and the like. l

An object of this invention is to provide an inhaling device wherein anarticulated, tubular mask holder or support affords a quick applicationand adjustment of vthe mask to suit the particular patient, either childor adult, while also serving to conduct gas to and discharge same intothe mask in a most effective manner.

Another object is to provide an inhaling device which consists ofcomparatively few parts and is light as to weight, compact and capableof being folded and collapsed into small compass for shipping andstorage purposes.

Another object is to provide an inhaling device which is equipped withan adjustable head rest for effecting a comfortable and properly ttedapplication of the mask to the patient.

A further object is to provide a device such as described, wherein themask is of simple and i-nexpensive one-piece form, justifyingthediscarding thereof after each use for sanitary purposes, yet isconstructed and arranged so that it may be quickly adjusted to increaseor decrease the size and vary the contour thereof to suit the particularpatient.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an inhaling devicearranged whereby the mask may be lifted from position covering the mouthand nose for access to the latter during treatment, while portions ofthe support or holder for the mask remains in i'ltted relation to thehead so as to insure the return of the mask to the desired operativeposition.

I have shown in the accompanying drawing a preferred form of inhalingdevice embodying my invention, subject, however, to modication, withinthe scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit ofmy invention.

In the drawing.:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the inhaling device of this invention,showing the manner of use thereof, I

Fig. 2 is a topplan view of the device,

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the mask sheet when flat,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional View of one of the hinged joints of thetubular mask holder,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional View of another of the hinged joints inthe holder, and

Fig. '7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of one of the gasdischarging ends of the mask holder.

.One embodiment of this invention, as shown in the accompanying drawing,comprises atubular articulated mask holder or support A anda mask Boperatively associated therewith and adapted to lie over the nose andmouth of the patient, the said holder and mask kbeing comparativelysmall and light as to Weight.

As here shown, the holder or support comprises a tubular body member Ito one end of which is connected the usual flexible tube C for supplyinggas such as oxygen, from a source thereof not shown. The other end ofthis tubular member has a hinged joint D with a short tubular section 8,which also has a hinged joint E with a substantially C-shaped tubularmask holder 9. The free end or trunnion portions I0 of the C-shaped maskholder 9 are comparatively straight and aligned and adapted to extendthrough the sides of the mask into the interior of the latter. Arrangedin these end portions are outlet 'orifices II which open at right anglesto the longitudinal axes of said portions in a direction away from theface of the patient so as to avoid discharging the gas directly againstthe face, the terminals of said portions being closed as shown in Fig.7.

As a meansffor fitting the appliance to the patient the section 'Isupports a head rest I2 which is longitudinally adjustable thereon topro'- vide for tting of the appliance to the particular patient, saidrest adapted to engage the forehead of the patient, as shown in Fig. 1.It is seen that when the appliance is fitted, as shown in Fig, 1, themask portions of the holder may be readily raised and lowered from thepatient'without disturbing the adjustment of the device' and so thataccess may be had at will to the mouth and nose ofthe patient duringtreatments.

The hinge joint A may be of any suitable construction, provided itpermits of a free hinge action and! establishes a gas feeding connectionbetween thetubular members 'lf and 8'. One form of joint is'particularly shown in Fig. 6 and comprises` an enlargement i3 onthee'nd of the' memb'er 'I and a similar enlargement I4 on the end ofthe tubular member 8 arranged to abut one another. The enlargement I4has a tubular extension or boss I5 thereon which registers with a boreI6 affording communication of the boss with the bore of the tubularmember l. The

boss I5 extends through an opening II in the enlargement I4 and receivesa flanged screw I8 to hold the parts assembled, the flange of said screwbearing on the outer face of the enlargement I4. The enlargement I4 isprovided with an annular groove |9 interiorly thereof, whichcommunicates with the bore of the member 8 and also with a dischargeopening 20 formed in the tubular member I5, whereby the gas from thelatter will enter the groove |9 and thence pass through the tubularmember 8.

The joint D, as here shown, comprises an enlarged laterally perforatedhead 2| on the outer end of the member 8 through which head is inserteda tubular coupling 22 so as to be freely rotatable within the head withits ends open and exposed on opposite sides of the head. A flanged nut23 is screwed on the reduced .threaded end 24 of the coupling 22 andtogether with a flange 25 adjacent the other end of the coupling, holdsthe coupling freely rotatable Within the head 2|. It will be noted thatthe head 2| is provided with an internal circumferential groove 25 whichcommunicates with the bore of the tube 8. The coupling 22 is providedbetween its ends with an opening 21 at all times in communication withthe groove 26, whereby gas discharged from the tube 8 into the groove 26will enter the coupling 22 through said opening 21. The C-shaped holder9 is formed of two tubular members 28 and 29 having the trunnions or endportions I0 and the outlet orifices |I as aforesaid and also providedadjacent said ends I D with flanges 30 limiting the extension of saidends through the mask. The other ends of the tubes 28 and 29 areinserted into the ends of the tubular coupling 22 and may be soldered orotherwise fixed thereto as desired. It is seen that this arrangementprovides for a small and effective mask holder which also serves toconduct gas to the mask and at the same time permit of such articulationof the holder as a whole, to insure the desired fitting of the mask andthe appliance to the patient.

The mask B is simply and inexpensively con- Structed to justify a singleuse thereof for sanitary purposes and to provide for adjustment thereofto change its size and contour to suit a particular patient, whetherchild or adult. As here shown, the mask is formed of a single sheet F ofexible resilient material, such as Celluloid or the like, transparencybeing a desirable feature so that observance of the nose and mouth ofthe patient may be had during treatment. 'I his single sheet of materialF is preferably elongated and formed with rounded terminals andhasinwardly extending notches 3| opposed to one another between the endsthereof, said notches being substantiatlly V-shaped. The notches 3|vir.- tually divide the sheet F into two mask forming portions G and Hjoined by a comparatively narrow web portion J.

To form the mask the sides of the portions G and H are bent or exedtowards one another and so as to fold at the web portion J asparticularly shown in Fig. 3. The portions lyingfon opposite sides ofthe notches will overlap as shown in Fig. 3, and there will thus beformed a substantially conical mask of a size adapted to encompass thenose and mouth of a patient. The portion G of the mask is provided withapertures 32 adjacent 70 the notches 3|, which aperturesI are adapted toalign with apertures of series of apertures 33 formed in correspondingportions of the part H of the mask. Inasmuch as the apertures 33 arearranged in arcuate rows and are several in number, it is seen that themask may be adjusted to increase or decrease the size thereof and tovary its contour by bringing the apertures 32 into registration withdifferent apertures 33. This adjustment will render the mask suitablefor application to children and adults.

It should be noted that the mask may be readily removed from andattached to the holder and that it will pivot freely between the arms 28and 29 of the holder so that the entire appliance may be properly ttedto the patient. By having the ends of the portions I0 closed and the gasoutlet orices opened on the sides of said end portions in a directionaway from the open side of the mask, or in other words, upwardly oroutwardly away from the face ofthe patient, the gas is prevented frombeing discharged directly against and burning the patient, yet isconfined within the mask so that it Will be effectively administered.

I claim:

l. An inhaling device comprising an articulated tubular mask holderthrough which gas is introduced into a mask, a mask having openingsl inopposite sides thereof, and tubular end portions on said holder extendedthroughsaid openings and into the mask and having closed terminals andformed with outlet orifices in the'sides thereof, arranged to dischargethe gas in a direction away from the open side of the mask.

2. In an inhaling device, a mask formed of a single elongated sheet ofexible resilient material provided between its ends with opposed notchesdefining mask forming portions joined by a web which extends between theinner ends of the notches and facilitates the bending'of said portionsto form a substantially concave-convex mask with sides of said portionsoverlapped, said overlapped portions having a-plurality of 'openingsadapted to be selectively brought into registration to increase orrdecrease the size of'the mas-k. Y 3. In an inhaling device, a maskformedof a single elongated sheet of flexible resilient materialprovided between its ends uwith opposed notches defining mask formingportions joined by a web which extends between the innerends of thenotches `and facilitates the bending of said portions t0 form asubstantially concave-convex mask with sides of said portionsoverlapped, said overlapped portions having a plurality of openingsadapted to be selectively brought into registration to increase ordecrease the size of the mask, and a tubular holder having portionsextensible through said openings for maintaining the mask assembled anddischarging gas within the mask.

4. An inhaling device comprising atubular section adaptedto be connectedat one end with a source of supply` of gas, a bifurcated tubular holderhaving opposed free endportions provided with gas dischargeropenings, amask ,pivotally mounted on said free end portions, an intermediatetubular section, and independent hinge joints connecting saidintermediate section with and between said first section and saidholder.

CLARENCE N. ERICKSON.

